The brand's largest C_Two machine sends a baffling 1408kW and 2300Nm to all four wheels, enough to reach 100km/h in less than 1.9 seconds. It won the attention of brands such as Porsche and Aston Martin which have invested in Rimac to electrify next-gen supercars.

Hyundai has joined the fray, investing €80 million ($129.3m) as part of "a strategic partnership to collaborate on the development of high-performance electric vehicles".

The first fruit will be electric prototypes for production version of what Hyundai describes as its "N brand midship sports concept car".

Hyundai has shown three mid-engine concept cars.

Hyundai has toyed with the notion of a mid-engine, rear-drive Veloster for some time. The manufacturer presented its Veloster RM14 concept in Korea in 2014, pointing to a modern alternative to Renault's classic Clio V6.

Updated versions followed in 2015 and 2016, suggesting the brand was increasingly serious about a halo performance car positioned above the award-winning Hyundai i30 N.

Responding to the car's warm reception, Genesis chief executive Manfred Fitzgerald told Australian motoring reporters "I will fight to the very end to have this car into production", suggesting it may reach showrooms before too long.